Infinite Possibilities - STC Summit 2015

Possibilities
Infinite
Denise R. Jacobs
STC Summit | Columbus, OH
24 June 2015

@denisejacobs
@STC_Summit #stc15
#infinitepossible

Get the slides here:
Creativedo.se/stcsummit-ip

One of the best groups of folks

Photo by Derek Kearney
From dev & tech writer à Creativity Evangelist

à Founder + Chief Creativity Evangelist
http://TheCreativeDose.com/

1,1,2,3…
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bdunnette/143567420

It’s the new Black
http://www.flickr.com/photos/designandtechnologydepartment/4771136128/

IBM CEO Study, 2010
https://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/31670.wss

Time Magazine Creativity Poll, 2013
http://business.time.com/2013/04/26/the-time-creativity-poll/

Survey of 684 Developers
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ter-burg/8812567121

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/3135103537/
We have it. Then (somehow) we lose it.

This is Water.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/seotaro/2101165162

“In the beginning, there was the
word…”
– The Bible, Genesis 1:1

Truth.
http://www.wordstream.com/images/persuasive-landing-pages-words-have-power.jpg

Words have Resonance
Photo: Denise Jacobs

You are Torchbearers
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mmcnabb3/2397614214/

“Communicators change the world.”
– Nancy Duarte, STC Summit 2015 opening keynote “Resonate”

Rampant curiosity
Passion for accuracy
Analytical
Critical thinking
Learn quickly
Can distill complex information & data
Gifts of technical communicators

“Technical communicators touch every
product, process, and service on this
planet….”
– Kit Brown-Hoekstra, former STC President, STC Summit
2015 Opening Address

Now it’s time to value yourself
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgraths/3277839203

“The new scarcity: the time, energy,
and brainpower of bright, creative
people.”
- Mary Poppendieck, “Think For Yourself”

It starts with One
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33498942@N04/6009639079/

We are part of this pattern
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124263610@N08/14201837570/

The Golden Ratio
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gdvan/14910785913

Everything comes from this divine unfolding
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rammorrison/2718543921

Constantly moving forward & reinventing

Making one solid choice is the beginning

The paradox of choice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/x1brett/2279939232/

CHOOSE
https://www.flickr.com/photos/buttersponge/4955768144

http://www.flickr.com/photos/barretthall/3036598475/ & http://www.flickr.com/photos/carbonnyc/3135103537/
Who here is creative?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kosmotesto/3794445313/
“Creativity is all about making connections
and seeing patterns.”
Bruce Nussbaum, Creative Intelligence

Child, please.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mahalie/276780530/

Internal fears = Inner Critic

In Tibetan, creative = “Natural”
https://www.flickr.com/photos/norte_it/2340805781

Creativity ≠ Trying to be Creative
http://www.theprofessionalcreative.com/take-the-first-step-to-become-creative/

http://www.wallpaper4me.com/images/wallpapers/do_or_do_not_w1.jpeg
“Try not.
Do, or do not.
There is no try.”
– Yoda

“If I try to be creative, rather than just
accepting that I am creative, I fail.”
Andrew J. Epstein

More like breathing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guiniveretoo/1573049301/

Like breathing, you can build
http://www.flickr.com/photos/miguel77/2728104156/

Get in tune with the process
https://www.flickr.com/photos/flavijus/566174947

What’s your creative frequency?
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sine_waves_different_frequencies.svg

Filter out the background noise

Tune into resonance

Frequency: Occurence
https://www.flickr.com/photos/joelanman/367425390

Frequency: Practice
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/275200051/

Challenge/Homework: Ten Ideas a day
https://www.flickr.com/photos/evaekeblad/15294401442

“Deciding for creativity does not
guarantee that creativity will emerge,
but without the decision, it certainly
will not.”
– Robert Sternberg

Decide upon Creativity –
Choose it.

Then, amplify your creative
frequency.

Mindset, by Carol Dweck
http://mindsetonline.com

Fixed mindset
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bethscupham/7328405210

Perfection
Talent
Ability
Accomplishment
Comparison

Fixed Mindset focused on

“Maybe I don’t have enough talent.”
“What if I fail?”
“If I don’t try, I can protect my dignity.”
“It’s not my fault. It’s something/someone
else’s.”

(Sounds an awful lot like the Inner Critic, no?)

Perfectionist?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/diepuppenstubensammlerin/7648792510/

Learning
Willingness to fail
Curiosity
Expansion
Being self-referential
Growth Mindset focused on

How do you change from Fixed to Growth?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/f-oxymoron/5005673112/

1) Listen for your Fixed Mindset voice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theory/3193684632/

2) Recognize that you have a choice
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cjsmithphotography/6804513809

3) Talk back to it with a growth mindset voice

“I can learn to do this with time & effort.”
“Most successful people have had failure
along the way.”
“If I don’t try, I automatically fail.”
“If I don’t take responsibility, I can’t fix it.”

Growth Mindset actions
http://www.flickr.com/photos/onegiantleap/4124211492/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/959867550/ &http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/959864706/
Adopt a beginner’s mind

Release the Tyranny of the Expert
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64540855@N07/5878418781

Rediscover the familiar
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77654185@N07/8428225936

Re-learn something from a friend
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ribbitvoice/2339351666

Learn something entirely new

In my own life: learning Improv

Learning from experience is key

“I don’t divide the world into the weak
and the strong, or the successes and
the failures…Idividetheworldintothe
learnersandnonlearners.”
– Benjamin Barber, Sociologist

Approach everything with
openness and eagerness.
Increase your knowledge
and expand yourself.

Creative blocks?

Fears
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tom_lin/3193080175/

Creative Flow

Enjoy + Good at + Feeling Empowered
http://www.flickr.com/photos/h-k-d/3310336516/

= Empowered Play (aka Flow)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/anieto2k/8216666102/

Your brain on Flow
https://www.flickr.com/photos/arselectronica/13994747444

Flow banishes the inner critic

Get in touch with your brilliance
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathan_hamner/3386076488/

My Father built airplanes in his spare time
Photo: Deloria Jacobs

(Instill the Headphones Rule)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/9824922293

Helps create space for ideas
https://www.flickr.com/photos/creativedc/2939649520

Risk/Challenge
http://www.flickr.com/photos/librarianavengers/2495352933/

Balance between skill and challenge

Immediate feedback

Find your Flow to dispel
fears and experience
continuous creative growth.

…Has little regard for
their potential to
shape the future or
ability to take action
on issues that truly
motivate them.
A Taker…

…A maker’s work is
characterized by morality,
creativity, craftsmanship,
and purposed problem
solving. They view their
work through the lens of
service.
A Maker…

“….Makers choose their work based on
impact and happiness.”
– Jason Cavnar, "Why developers should start
choosing conscience over profit"
http://venturebeat.com/2013/02/18/developers-choosing-conscience-over-profit/

Become a passionate problem-solver
http://www.flickr.com/photos/argonne/4435608143/

Make “Bug” Lists
https://www.flickr.com/photos/acerriteno/3484407240/

Cultivate a healthy disregard for the impossible

Be clear on your “Why”
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zlz212/198759134/

Whom are you helping?
http://www.codefevermiami.com/

Infuse meaning
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/5932362950

Choose bigger, more creative problems to solve

Cultivate a culture of creativity around you
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsters,_Inc.

Make things that matter –
to both you and others.

PROGRESS
http://www.flickr.com/photos/harryharris/381154280/

What do you get?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlaughland/3475448568/

Life is complex and so are decisions

CREATIVITY
GROWTH MIND
FIND FLOW
BE A MAKER

Guidelines; stars to navigate by

“Clarity brings about purpose,
purpose brings about action,
action brings about change.”
Joel Yeo

CREATE
LEARN
FLOW
CONTRIBUTE

Mobilize a dormant creative confidence
http://www.flickr.com/photos/badastronomy/4179773749/

Realize that we are Master Creators

While we can’t predict the future
http://fusible.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/crystal-ball.jpg

Because of the unknown
http://hub.salford.ac.uk/energymonitoring/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2012/01/known-knowns1.jpg

“We are the creators of the future.”
Umair Haque, “How to Have a Year That Matters”

And if predicting the future is a comfort

Making them should be easier
http://www.cdmdirect.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Choices.jpg

Not creative
Fixed mindset
Blocked
Taking what you can get
All too familiar with this

All of space-time started with a singularity

Just as the Universe is expanding, so are we

We are constantly reinventing ourselves

Now you have more tools to help

Move beyond

“Technical communicators build a
better world. ”
– Kit Brown-Hoekstra, former STC President, STC Summit
2015 Opening Address

“The Fierce Urgency of Now”

The choice is clear
https://www.flickr.com/photos/matias3000/253871344/

Claim your power. Choose
http://www.flickr.com/photos/designandtechnologydepartment/4771136128/

Get the slides, y’all!
Creativedo.se/stcsummit-ip

My upcoming book!
Banish Your Inner
Critic
DeniseJacobs.com/InnerCritic
26 Effective Techniques for
Unleashing Productive
Creativity

Please take the Creative Blocks Survey
Creativedo.se/creative-blocks-survey

THE CREATIVE DOSE
A Creativity + Innovation Collective
Work Better. Create More. Create Betterness.
Creative Thinking & Problem-solving
Applying an Innovation Mindset
Creative Collaboration
Team Communication & Cohesion
TheCreativeDose.com
@thecreativedose
“Untitled” by Americo Morales

Photos: Deloria Jacobs
My posse’s in Columbus!

DeniseJacobs.com
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Photo used with permission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarronwalter/4629078087/

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Infinite Possibilities - STC Summit 2015

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